In 2011, I gave birth to my son. I soon discovered that being a working mother was harder than I had ever imagined. Although I loved my child, the reality of the matter was that I was the ‘bread winner’ of my family. I couldn’t be the stay-at-home mom that I’d dreamed of and didn’t want to burden my parents and-laws with another child to raise.
So in 2012, I made the decision to be implanted with Essure. I was not informed that the device contained nickel, nor was I tested for a nickel allergy beforehand. My OB-GYN recommended Mirena, but the idea of having a cylinder filled with years’ worth of hormones in my body frightened me.
Immediately after the procedure, I began setting off metal detectors upon entering/exiting stores. It was embarrassing to say the least.
In addition to the humiliation, I also began suffering numerous health ailments. I experienced headaches and bloating almost daily, my hair began thinning, I started experiencing break-outs far worse than I’d ever had as a teenager. I was depressed and tired. I was so tired, and my face was so red in fact, that my sister, a Registered Nurse was convinced I had lupus. I, on the other hand, was convinced I was a diabetic.
My weight ballooned, although I suffered from vomiting and diarrhea just about daily.
My periods became unbearable. The flow was so heavy at times, I had to leave work to go home and change clothes, something I hadn’t done since my early teen years. I also bled from my urethra.
I finally saw a doctor. My blood work revealed that my iron, hemoglobin and ferritin levels were all extremely low. So low, in fact, that I had to have iron infusions. I was always the youngest patient at the cancer center where I received my infusions and was prescribed more iron more often than many chemotherapy patients.
In addition to anemia, I was also diagnosed with several new food allergies.
In all likelihood, I will never know how many of my symptoms have been caused by Essure, if any of them, but I do know what I’ve experienced since being implanted.
I only wish I could go back and undo it.